Do you have ANY faith left in McLeish ?

[ROBBO]

ROBBO: 2 points short of safety in 16th? If 5 are going down this season we really are in the shit.

Sorry Perc i must change the medication.

[Irish villain]

I lost my faith around the time of Man City and Wigan.

[paul_e]

I saw the following on the BBC web site. Talk about stating the obvious, he's just a joke.

"Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish is understandably concerned about his team's descent towards the Premier League relegation zone. "I don't think I have ever not been worried this season, he told Mirror Football. "We have to look to get to at least 40 points. That is the target I'd be giving to the players and get to that target as quickly as possible."

he's in a no win situation; say nothing and he's running scared, criticise the players and he's lost the dressing room, criticise himself and he' lost confidence, say something obvious and gets comments like yours.

You beat me to it Lovejoy

It's his fault he's in that situation though.  if he'd been more positive earlier in the season when we had our best team available relegation wouldn't be an issue and most of the fans would be willing to give him a chance.

Taking a team with attacking talent and trying to turn it into a team that battles out wins was never a good idea and he's never learned.

[Villanation]

Aside from the he was never wanted and the he came from Blues and all that stuff, we all know if we had been sitting anywhere around the 6th to 10th placings most would be behind him looking for the changes to the squad next season to improve further.

In other words he would have merited support.

Fact is Villa are near crap, looking at the Blackburn game last night and in spite of the fact they lost they put up one hell of a fight and you could make a good case for saying they deserved at least a point, I don't see that kind of spirit anywhere in Villa at this time.

McLiesh can't hide behind players, these players on the whole are tried and tested its up to the manager to organize and delegate, after all if players persistently don't do what you tell them to do you get rid.

His transfers in, Given has been very good although i think he's starting to lose that edge, that's probably because he has literally no defence in front of him, N'Zogbia I would honestly imagine like most of the other players they have a real problem understanding the guy (that's nothing to do with his accent or where he's from) he just seems very bland and Poe faced.

It is what it is, and he should go, been saying it since Jan and now we have a real fight on our hands and its going to be very difficult for us.

Just to add to this: Its pointless getting rid of him now, we are way to near the end and we wouldn't get another manager in in time, it could be a dangerous move, but as soon as the season is over that's it, its that unfortunate the club has made its bed and its going to have to lay down in it.

[andrew08]

Fact is Villa are near crap, looking at the Blackburn game last night and in spite of the fact they lost they put up one hell of a fight and you could make a good case for saying they deserved at least a point, I don't see that kind of spirit anywhere in Villa at this time.

I thought we did show that fight on Saturday to be fair.

As fans we can't do a lot about it at the moment other than either showing our support at the games untill the end of the season or giving up. It's a to be paid for product so if people aren't happy they should stay away if that's what they want to do. I'm sure the Randy is fully aware that 5th from bottom doesn't lead to many full houses.

Well at least it puts an edge to the games.....if Gabby had made that header at Blackburn and Dunne hadn't scored that own goal at QPR the season would be as good as over and how boring would that be !

[darren woolley]

I was in the give him time camp at least until he's had time to build his own team but with each and every game we are getting worse at defending being though he was a defender himself you would think he would sort that out but I still think we will stay up and see what happens in the summer.

[Dante Lavelli]

Re Lambert and Rodgers, similar things were being aid about Phil Brown a few years ago and even Golloway last season.  Also George Burley when he had a good first PL season with Ipswich - followed by relegation and oblivion.   I do like the way they try to play proper football though.

You'd hope that this is where the benefit of the coaching badges comes in though.  Lambert chose to do his badges in Germany because he felt they produced better managers and Rodgers has been working for years in the back ground learning from the likes of Mourinho.  My point is, with Lambert and Rodgers is that they have both taken a lot of time studying the games so they should have technical nous as well as some good motivational skills.  With that combination of skills I think you're more likely to succeed long term.

[Risso]

Re Lambert and Rodgers, similar things were being aid about Phil Brown a few years ago and even Golloway last season.  Also George Burley when he had a good first PL season with Ipswich - followed by relegation and oblivion.   I do like the way they try to play proper football though.

You'd hope that this is where the benefit of the coaching badges comes in though.  Lambert chose to do his badges in Germany because he felt they produced better managers and Rodgers has been working for years in the back ground learning from the likes of Mourinho.  My point is, with Lambert and Rodgers is that they have both taken a lot of time studying the games so they should have technical nous as well as some good motivational skills.  With that combination of skills I think you're more likely to succeed long term.

My mate's a Colchester fan, and even though Lambert fucked them over to join Norwich, he reckons that you could tell back then that he was going to be a quality manager.

[Concrete John]

I'm sure there were similar plaudits and reasoning behind fanfare for the likes of Burley - didn't he spend some time in Holland and adapt some Ajax stuff at Ipswich?

Equally there are no such schooling stories about Moyes, yet he's widely regarded as the best manager to come out of the Championship into the PL.

The point being it's a little too early to tell, so either Lambert or Rodgers would be something of a gamble right now.  Not to say we shouldn't take it, just that we're not guaranteed the next Wenger/Ferguson/Mourinho, as some seem to like to portray them.   

[Risso]

The point being it's a little too early to tell, so either Lambert or Rodgers would be something of a gamble right now.  Not to say we shouldn't take it, just that we're not guaranteed the next Wenger/Ferguson/Mourinho, as some seem to like to portray them.   

I agree John, but I think a gamble on that sort of manager is less risky than appointing somebody who was virtually guaranteed to play poor football and have us in the relegation mix.

[Concrete John]

Quite possibly.

But Rodgers took over a Swansea side that were having a certain way of playing developed over a number of years, so who's to say how, or indeed if, he'd have been able to instill that at Villa in the space of one very competitive PL season.

[hartman_1982]

I am not a big fan of Lambert and think the wheels may fall off there, but the job Rodgers has done is fantastic. Sadly, I don't think he would leave Swansea for us right now. I would like us to go for Adkins at Southampton, all that man does is win the league!

[Concrete John]

That's a good shout.

Lambert and Rodgers will be very much in demand right now, so maybe our better path is to source the next omne coming through early?

[villanic]

I'm suprised nearly 13% of people think he needs more time and money to build his own squad.

Even though he has not brought in to many of his own players that can not excuse the poor displays and negative football, the squad is better than that.

[villanic]

That's a good shout.

Lambert and Rodgers will be very much in demand right now, so maybe our better path is to source the next omne coming through early?

What about Brian McDermott at Reading? Seems to be doing a great job and comes across really well when ive seen him interviewed.